Pesto Chicken Parmesan Sliders (Printable)

Crispy chicken with pesto and melted mozzarella on mini brioche buns

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken & Marinade

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lbs), cut into 12 pieces
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
05 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

→ Breading

06 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
07 - 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

→ Assembly

09 - 12 mini brioche slider buns
10 - 0.5 cup basil pesto
11 - 1 cup marinara sauce
12 - 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
14 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a bowl, toss chicken pieces with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - In a shallow dish, combine panko, Parmesan, and Italian herbs. Dredge chicken pieces in breadcrumb mixture, pressing firmly to ensure coating adheres.
04 - Arrange breaded chicken on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
05 - While chicken bakes, slice slider buns in half horizontally. Spread approximately 2 teaspoons pesto on each bottom half.
06 - Place one cooked chicken piece on each pesto-topped bun bottom. Spoon 1 tablespoon marinara sauce over each chicken piece and top with mozzarella cheese.
07 - Position bun tops on sliders and arrange assembled sliders in a baking dish. Brush melted butter over the tops of all buns.
08 - Bake assembled sliders at 400°F for 5 minutes until cheese is fully melted and buns are lightly toasted.
09 - Remove from oven and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They disappear faster than you can refill the platter, which somehow feels like a compliment.
  • Crispy, herbaceous chicken meets the comfort of melted cheese without any of the fuss of a full-sized Parmesan dinner.
02 -
  • Don't skip pressing the breading onto the chicken—it's the difference between a crispy slider and one that sheds coating on everyone's plate.
  • If your cheese hasn't fully melted after five minutes of baking, give them another minute or two rather than serving them half-melted and sad.
03 -
  • Keep the oven temperature consistent—if it dips below 400°F, your buns won't toast and your cheese will take forever to melt.
  • Don't overload each slider with marinara or they become slippery and fall apart in people's hands, which defeats the whole point of a handheld appetizer.
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